The young mercenary stood atop the gates of Sunagakure. The evening air was cool as always. The stars shone brightly in the unpolluted air of the village. Shinobu let out a loud sigh as she contemplated what used to be her people from where she stood. She knew she couldn’t dwell on such things. She was no longer who or what she used to bee. She had a different job now, with different goals and a completely different mindset. Now, all she had to do was actually find someone willing to employ her services. She adjusted the eye path on her face. She still wasn’t used to its presence, nor was she used to the sharingan that had been transplanted onto her. There was light scarring atop her eyelid as a remnant of the surgery. It wasn’t likely to fade anytime soon.

With one last look towards Sunagakure, Shinobu leaped from the gates and landed silently on the ground. As far as she could tell, she went by unnoticed. After all, she had been the one to devise most of Sunagakure’s defensive strategies over the past ten years. And without a Kage to occupy her former position at the moment, it was very likely that the setup she had still remained unmodified. She knew this village and the surrounding deserts better than anyone. She could navigate them expertly, more so with the help of her new doujutsu.

The former Kazekage had no particular destination in mind. She thought she would come up with it along the way. She knew that she would seek passage through Iwagakure, knowing that she was likely to go unfollowed if she entered enemy territory. Then again, it was very unlikely that she would be followed at all. Shinobu was officially non-existent. She was unregistered in any village under this new identity. She could come and go in silence as long as she played her cards right. She had no history, no criminal record, nothing that could really merit her being a target.

And yet still, she was paranoid. Shinobu shook her head as she set off. She ran for a day and a half without stopping for more than a few minutes at a time to eat and drink water. The sand underneath her feet soon turned into solid ground. She was nearing her initial destination. Knowing that she had passed the borders, she could rest now. The young woman set up camp in the dense forest where she now found herself in. It had been long time since she had last found herself in this country, one that she had considered a political enemy for a long time. It was odd that she would now try to find work there.

After about an hour of rest, she heard something lurking among the bushes. It sounded too big to be a wild animal. She placed a hand on the hilt of her blade cautiously. She stared at the source of the noise from the corner of her eye. Whoever it was, they knew that they had been spotted. Shinobu leaped to her feet, setting herself in a stance. She inspected the group of people around her. They all wore masks and a black cloak decorated with a blue rose. Odd. They likely belonged to some sort of criminal organization. Shinobu prepared for a fight.

Three of the four shinobi charged her. Their movements were slow, or at least they seemed so now that she had her new eye. The young woman drew Sabaku no Bara from its sheathe. The simple blade would be more than enough to deal with this. But they stopped mid charge and simply disappeared in a puff of smoke. Had they been clones…? Odd, she would have thought that with the sharingan and her added experience she would be able to tell. No, they weren’t clones, just cowards not worth running after.

Of course, these were the thoughts that went through her head before she realized that the men had stolen several of the scrolls that she had left in the encampment. Shinobu almost turned red with rage. They had stolen the scroll where she kept most of her money sealed, not to mention her kunai and shuriken. Needless to say, she was pissed off.

Without thinking twice, the young mercenary set after them. They were easy to follow and it wouldn’t be too hard to catch up with them. But maybe… they probably had a lair within Iwagakure. And if they were a criminal organization, someone likely had a bounty on them. Perfect. She could get revenge, collect her money and earn some added cash all in just one place. That is how Shinobu found herself standing in front of the gates that led into the Blue Rose’s mansion and into her new life.

[Word Count: 804]